The Queen was left in the dark for almost a decade over the full scale of the treachery of one of her most senior courtiers, according to newly-released files.
In 1964, Sir Anthony Blunt, the surveyor of the Queen’s pictures and distinguished art historian, finally confessed he had been a Soviet agent since the 1930s.
When he was a young don at Cambridge he was recruited into one of the most notorious spy rings of the 20th century.
As a senior MI5 officer during the Second World War, he passed vast quantities of secret intelligence to his KGB handlers.
Read more: The spies that betrayed Britain – the Cambridge Ring
However, he was allowed to keep his position at the heart of the British establishment amid fears of a major scandal if the truth became public.
When the Queen was finally told the full story in the 1970s, she was characteristically unflappable – taking it “all very calmly and without surprise” – according to declassified MI5 files released to the National Archives in Kew, west London.
In the same tranche of declassified files, it has been revealed that film star Dirk Bogarde was warned by MI5 that he could be the target of a gay “entrapment” attempt by the KGB.
Image: Dirk Bogarde pictured at a launch party for his new book, A Gentle Occupation, in 1980. Pic: AP Photo/John Glanville
Bogarde, who died in 1999, never came out publicly as gay, although he maintained a long-term relationship with his manager, Anthony Forwood.
In 1971 he was interviewed in the south of France by MI5 officer FM Merifield.
When told about the report of his homosexuality, the actor responded with a mixture of anger and alarm.
“Bogarde said the report was absurd and he did not know how the KGB could have received this information. He was a man of 50 and able to behave in a responsible fashion,” Mr Merifield reported.
“Bogarde had no idea as to how the report may have reached the KGB and was clearly disturbed by it.”
Mr Merifield added: “Bogarde is a retiring, serious man who is probably dominated in his private life by Forwood.
“Although evidence about his homosexuality seems too strong to discount, there was no reason to doubt his evidence on other matters.”
Campaigners are calling on the government to allow rents to be capped within tenancies as a key bill returns to the Commons.
More than 30 MPs have backed an amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill which, if passed, would restrict how much landlords can raise rents on sitting tenants by limiting percentage increases to inflation or average wage growth – whichever is lowest.
The bill, which was first proposed by the Conservatives, promises to abolish Section 21 “no-fault evictions”, the legal mechanism that allows landlords to evict tenants without providing a reason.
Section 21 notices have been identified as a key driver of homelessness by housing charities including Shelter, which says about 500 renters receive a no-fault eviction every day.
However, campaigners have expressed concern that if Section 21 notices are banned, landlords will use other means to evict tenants, including by pricing out tenants with rent hikes.
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The most recent statistics by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that English renters paid an average of £1,362 last month, while rent prices in England increased by nearly 10% in the past year.
UK rent rises were not far behind, growing 9.1% across the year, just below the record-high annual rise of 9.2% in March.
Comparisons have been drawn with other countries in Europe, including the Netherlands, where a rent increase limit of inflation or wage growth plus 1% is in place.
Although there is a measure in the bill that would ban rent increases from being written into contracts to prevent mid-tenancy hikes, critics have pointed out that landlords would still be able to raise rent once a year at the market rate.
Analysis of government figures by housing charity Shelter found England’s private renters paid an extra £473m every month on rent in 2024 – an average of £103 more per month than they were paying in 2023.
However, the government has ruled out rent controls, saying its plan to build 1.5 million more homes will bring prices down.
The amendment on restricting rent increases has been proposed by Labour MP Paula Barker, a former shadow housing minister who said the change would “help keep renters in their homes”.
It has the support of the RMT and Unison unions, as well as the Renters’ Reform Coalition, which includes major homelessness and housing charities such as Shelter and Crisis.
Ms Barker said the housing crisis needed “immediate action” and that her proposal would prevent landlords from using “unaffordable rent hikes as de facto no-fault evictions”.
“In the long term, building more social and affordable housing will help to address the emergency – but to help renters who are struggling right now, a measure to limit rent rises would stop landlords from using unaffordable rent hikes as de facto no-fault evictions,” she said.
“By preventing landlords from raising the rent for sitting tenants by more than inflation or wage growth, my amendment to the Renters’ Rights Bill would help keep renters in their homes. Which is why I am urging my fellow MPs to support it.”
Read more: What is the bill – and will it end no-fault evictions? Rent control battle comes to Britain – but do they work?
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2:26
Bristol renters face frenzied competition
Other MPs who support Ms Barker’s amendment include Green Party MP Carla Denyer, who has put forward a separate proposal that would set up an independent “living rent” body to establish rules about rent increases between tenancies by taking into account factors such as property type, condition, size and local incomes.
Image: Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer speaks to the media on College Green. Pic: PA
“It’s time to end the scandal of rip-off rents,” the Bristol Central MP said.
“Right now, renters are facing a wild west when it comes to renting a home – and a lack of protection has left them at the mercy of landlords who see tenants as cash cows, not people in need of a home.
“Across Europe, rent controls are a normal part of the private rented sector. The UK is lagging behind, with dire consequences not just for renters but for the economy as a whole.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Our Renters’ Rights Bill will strengthen tenants’ rights by banning section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions and while we do not have plans to introduce rent controls, we are taking action to cap rent payable at the start of a tenancy to one month, end unfair bidding wars, and give tenants stronger powers to challenge excessive rent hikes.
“This is alongside boosting supply by building 1.5 million homes as part of our plan for change.”
A Home Office pilot scheme involving asylum seekers forced to wear ankle tags to track their locations “did not affect compliance” among them, a government report has concluded.
The trial, launched on 15 June 2022 and concluding on 15 December 2023, involved around 1,200 asylum seekers split into two groups.
Some 600 people were fitted with GPS monitors and told to continue regularly reporting to an immigration reporting centre, which was mostly fortnightly appointments.
The other group – also 600 asylum seekers – were not fitted with electronic tags and had their face-to-face meetings as normal.
Both groups were chosen to be largely young, male and Albanian – the most common profile of asylum seekers during this period.
The findings from the scheme, which have been released for the first time, showed just 16% of the asylum seekers forced to wear electronic monitoring tags absconded and were either unable to be located by the Home Office, had their asylum claim rejected or left the country.
This compared with 14% of the asylum seekers who were not fitted with tags and was deemed a “statistically insignificant” difference by government analysts.
Two-thirds of those tagged either did not keep it charged, a battery breach, or tried to remove it, a strap tamper.
One person had 81 battery breaches – the average per person was six.
The greatest number of strap tampers committed by one person was three but on average was one.
Battery breaches were stated to be mostly accidental – asylum seekers complained the battery was not lasting for as long as advised, and the supplied cable was no long enough for them to sit comfortably while charging the device.
In total, 316 asylum seekers had their tag “ceased” during the pilot – either due to legal or medical challenges or removing their tag and absconding.
One asylum seeker faked a hospital letter saying that the tag was too tight and could no longer be worn.
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The findings also concluded that asylum seekers hopeful that their claims would be successful were more compliant with Home Office officials, and people receiving asylum support were 79% less likely to stop contact with immigration officials.
In March 2024, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) found the scheme broke data protection laws.
John Edwards, the UK information commissioner said it “was not legally compliant”, calling the GPS tags “highly intrusive” and highlighting that asylum seekers “might not even be aware that they have [privacy and data protection] rights”.
The ICO’s formal warning said any further attempts to monitor asylum seekers would be met with enforcement action.
The Home Office would not confirm how much the scheme cost, or if there were plans to re-run another trial.
A record number of people travelled through Heathrow last year – a trend the airport is celebrating but which others say is a cause for alarm.
A record 83.9 million flyers made their way through the west London airport last year, its management said.
The figure is 4.7 million higher than 2023, and 3 million more than the previous record from 2019.
The airport expects the figure to reach a new record in 2025, with further growth forecasted.
It comes after new research warned passenger numbers in Europe are soaring in the wrong direction.
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0:52
UN chief’s climate warning in new year speech
By 2050, passenger air traffic from EU airports will more than double compared with 2019, undermining the industry’s own green initiatives, Transport and Environment (T&E) said.
The campaign group warns the “exponential growth” will offset any gains made by increased energy efficiency and sustainable fuels, with the industry on course to burn through 59% more fuel in 2050 than in 2019.
The airline industry, responsible for about 2.5% of global carbon emissions, has vowed to use more sustainable fuels. But scaling these has so far proved difficult and expensive.
The sector has rejected calls to curb growth, saying it is essential to economic development and connecting people around the world.
Heathrow chief executive Thomas Woldbye said: “2024 was an exciting and a record-breaking year at Heathrow.
He pledged investment in “the kind of facilities our passengers and airlines are looking for” and innovative projects to ensure the airport “delivers for the whole of the UK”.
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T&E said the EU’s target to slash emissions is “meaningless” without sufficient policies to tackle emissions from aviation.
It is calling for an end to airport infrastructure growth, cuts to business travel, disincentives to deter frequent flying and to a reversal of “under-taxation of the sector”.
Jo Dardenne, aviation director at T&E, said: “The numbers leave you speechless. The aviation industry’s plans for growth are completely irreconcilable with Europe’s climate goals and the scale of the climate crisis.”
She added: “A paradigm shift and real climate leadership are needed now to address the problem, or Europe’s planes will be eating up everyone else’s resources. The credibility of the sector is on the line.”
Temperatures are forecast to rise to double figures on Monday, though the end of the bitter cold snap could bring some flooding.
Ice and snow will begin to melt as temperatures rise above 0C (32F), with localised flooding possible, the Met Office said.
At least 30 flood alerts and two flood warnings are in place across England.
Get the forecast for your area
Daniel Bond, flood duty manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Combined rainfall and snowmelt means there is a very low likelihood of minor river flooding across parts of the Yorkshire and Humber region on Monday and into Tuesday.
“Environment Agency teams continue to be out on the ground, operating flood defences, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding, issuing flood warnings and supporting those communities affected.”
Temperatures will be milder across the country but there will be a north-south split in conditions, meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said.
Northern Ireland, Scotland and the far northwest of England will see the most dramatic change in weather, he said.
“Cloudy and patchy rain are moving in from the Atlantic and winds will turn southwesterly, bringing in milder air,” Mr Dewhurst said.
Temperatures will rise overnight into Monday, reaching as high as 10C (50F) in Scotland.
Much of England and Wales will be between -1C (30F) and 3C (37F) overnight – not as cold as recent nights, Mr Dewhurst said.
Parts of England, Northern Ireland and Scotland will be cloudy with outbreaks of patchy rain and temperatures between 9C (48F) and 12C (54F) on Monday.
But central and southern areas of England will be drier, with sunny spells and temperatures between 5C (41F) and 8C (47F).
Mr Dewhurst added there could still be some patchy frost in southern areas.
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The UK Health Agency’s cold weather health alert remains in place until Tuesday.
Amber alerts are in force, meaning a rise in deaths particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions is likely.
It comes after the UK’s coldest January temperature in 15 years, as temperatures plummeted to -18.9C (-2F) on Saturday morning in Altnaharra in Scotland.
Tuesday is forecast to be similar to Monday, but potentially drier, with temperatures between 11-12C (52-54F) in the north of England and 8-9C (46-48F) in the south.
The UK’s first safer drug consumption room is officially open.
The Thistle – based in Glasgow’s east end – will allow users to be able to consume drugs, including injecting heroin, under supervision in a clean and hygienic environment.
The pilot is being backed by the Scottish government, with Holyrood pledging up to £2.3m a year for the facility to help tackle the country’s drug-related deaths crisis.
Data from National Records of Scotland recently showed there were a total of 1,172 deaths due to drug misuse in 2023 – a rise of 121 (12%) on the previous year.
Image: The Thistle is based at Hunter Street Health Centre. Pic: PA
Image: Pic: PA
The safer drug consumption facility (SDCF) is based at Hunter Street Health Centre and will be open 365 days a year from 9am to 9pm.
It is hoped the centre will help addicts access wider support to improve their lives, as well as reduce the risk of blood-borne viruses (BBV) such as HIV.
The facility will not provide drugs – users will have to bring their own supply.
Image: The waiting room and reception area. Pic: PA
Image: The lounge area. Pic: PA
Image: A bookshelf in the lounge area. Pic: PA
Alongside the eight individual injection booths, there is also a recovery area, private chatrooms, a lounge with books and hot drinks, a shower room, a clothing bank and an outdoor smoking shelter.
There are also two health rooms where users can access a range of treatments, including having any wounds looked at or BBV testing undertaken.
Staff and representatives from a variety of support organisations will also be stationed at the centre to assist those seeking help.
During a tour of the facilities on Friday ahead of its official opening on Monday, First Minister John Swinney said “encouraging progress” had been made since the Scottish government launched a national mission to reduce drug-related deaths.
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1:21
First Minister John Swinney visited the facility on Friday
He added: “While this facility is not a silver bullet, it is another significant step forward and will complement other efforts to reduce harms and deaths.
“Those with lived experience have been involved in the designing of the service and had input on staff recruitment.
“Indeed, people with lived experience, who know what it’s like to see people injecting drugs in unsafe conditions, have joined the workforce at the facility.”
Read more: Will Glasgow’s radical approach to its drug epidemic cut addict deaths? ‘Dying would be better than my £1,000 a month heroin addiction’
Image: Injection kits will be provided to users. Pic: PA
Image: An injection bay. Pic: PA
Dr Saket Priyadarshi, associate medical director for alcohol and drug services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said The Thistle will provide a “severely marginalised group” access to the treatment and support they have been “lacking for years”.
He added: “We have strong evidence from other cities with similar problems that shows a SDCF in Glasgow could help prevent drug deaths, help stem the spread of HIV infection, reduce drug-related litter and significantly reduce costs in other health and social care services.
“We will learn a lot in the first three to six months, and we will keep developing services in response to the needs of the individuals.
“A robust independent evaluation will help us understand the impact the service has had on people who use it and the local community.”
The facility was first proposed in 2016, two years after Glasgow recorded the UK’s largest outbreak of HIV in people who inject drugs in more than 30 years.
However, it was blocked by the Home Office until 2023 when then Scottish secretary Alister Jack announced the UK government would not intervene to stop it from opening.
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Drug laws are set at Westminster but are enforced by the Scottish courts.
The pilot is able to go ahead after Scotland’s most senior legal officer said there would be no public interest in prosecuting people injecting under medical supervision in “injection bays” inside the building.
Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC stated: “I have concluded that it would not be in the public interest to prosecute people for simple possession offences when they are already in a place where help with their issues can be offered.”
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2:25
It has been a decade years in the making – but will it reduce drug deaths?
Ms Bain said she was “satisfied” the Glasgow facility can “provide a way for support services to engage with some of the most vulnerable people in society”.
However, she said the policy will not extend to people on their way to and from the facility or anywhere else in the city.
Ms Bain added: “I understand that this policy may be a source of anxiety for some who live and work near the facility.
“The policy is very narrow and does not mean other offending will be tolerated.
“Supply offences are not included and Police Scotland will enforce these, and other crimes, as they always have.”
Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has announced she is pregnant with twins.
The singer, 33, said she was “eating for three now” on her Instagram alongside a polaroid picture of her with Zion Foster, with whom she was reported to have split up last year.
Nelson shared the touching post on Sunday, letting the world know she is set to become a mum for the first time – including two baby emojis next to her message.
The cosy picture shows the pair smiling in a kitchen.
Nelson rose to fame with the girl band Little Mix, which formed on The X Factor in 2011 and earned a string of UK number-one singles.
However, she left in December 2020 after nine years, saying the pressures of being in the group had taken a toll on her mental health.
Read more: Little Mix ‘went to therapy’ after star’s ‘traumatic’ exit
Nelson has since performed as a solo artist but still had praise for her former bandmates, telling The Graham Norton Show in 2021: “To me they are still the sickest girl band in the world.”
Little Mix continued as a trio after Nelson’s departure in December 2020 before going on hiatus in 2022.
Boris Johnson has branded Russian President Vladimir Putin a “f****** idiot” over his alleged imperial ambitions.
The former prime minister used the colourful language in an interview with news website Delfi.
Mr Johnson is known for his vocal support for Ukraine and was leading the UK when Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
During the interview, Mr Johnson reflected on the end of Britain’s own empire and said that Mr Putin needed to understand Moscow was no longer an imperial power either.
“He needs to understand that Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania … none of these countries are part of the Russian imperium anymore,” he said.
He continued: “And nor is Ukraine. It’s over. Over. Over. Over. No more empire Vladimir you f****** idiot – excuse my language – okay?”
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The war goes on
His comments come as Russia has claimed to have taken two villages in eastern Ukraine.
The country’s defence ministry claimed its troops had taken control of the villages of Yantarne in the Donetsk region and Kalynove in the Kharkiv region.
Its claims have not been verified by Sky News.
Russia’s forces have been steadily advancing westward in the Donetsk region for several months, edging closer to important towns like Pokrovsk.
Separately, Ukraine’s air force said Russia had launched 94 drones overnight into Sunday – around two-thirds of which were downed by defences.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces had captured two North Korean soldiers.
In a post on social media, he shared images of the captives in prison.
Read more: Ukraine says it captured North Korean soldiers Ukraine launches new offensive in Russia
“As with all prisoners of war, these two North Korean soldiers are receiving the necessary medical assistance,” Mr Zelenskyy said.
He added that journalists would be given access to speak to them.
North Korean regular troops entered the war on Russia’s side in October, according to Kyiv and its Western allies, who initially estimated their numbers at 10,000 or more.
Pyongyang has also been accused of supplying Russia with vast quantities of artillery shells.
Half the public think Elon Musk is having a negative impact on British politics following his rants on X about Labour and Sir Keir Starmer, according to a new survey.
The South African-born billionaire has spent much of the past week attacking the prime minister over his opposition to another national inquiry into grooming gangs.
And he also asked his 212 million followers whether America should “liberate” the UK from its “tyrannical government”.
A poll published on Saturday suggested widespread opposition to Musk‘s involvement in British politics.
Read more: Why is Musk so interested in British politics? How should politicians handle Elon Musk?
Some 53% of people told Opinium they thought he was having a negative impact politics, compared to just 12% who thought he was having a positive one.
On his comments about grooming gangs specifically, 47% said they thought Mr Musk was being “unhelpful”, compared to 26% who thought the opposite.
Adam Drummond, head of political and social research at Opinium, said a “lack of enthusiasm about a foreign billionaire involving himself in British politics” was “one area of agreement” among the public.
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Why Germany’s far-right party is facing protests
In other posts he expressed support for Reform UK, but called for its leader Nigel Farage to step aside.
When asked about this, 71% of Reform UK voters said the Clacton MP was the best leader they could have now.
Earlier this week, Mr Farage insisted he could repair relations with the Tesla chief executive and incoming adviser to US President-elect Donald Trump.
But he also said Musk’s support was not “crucial” and it was more important to maintain his long-standing opposition to jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
The split between Mr Farage and Musk came after the billionaire expressed strong support for Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
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The family of a missing British hiker in northern Italy have said they are “devastated by the tragic events of the last few days”.
Search teams have continued looking for Aziz Ziriat, 36, who has been missing in the Dolomites in northern Italy for more than a week.
The body of his friend Sam Harris, 35 and also from London, was found in the Passo di Conca area on Wednesday, rescuers said.
In a statement, Mr Ziriat’s family said: “Aziz is continuing to be loved and prayed for. We hope, with all our hearts, he will be found and brought home soon.”
Image: British hikers Aziz Ziriat (left) and Sam Harris. Pic: PA
Meanwhile Joe Stone, a university friend of Mr Ziriat, told the PA news agency on Saturday that while search teams were “trying everything” to find him “there is an acceptance among us that it’s not going to be good news”.
The pair’s last known location had been a mountain hut called Casina Dosson, close to the town of Tione Di Trento, near Riva Del Garda on Lake Garda.
Italy’s National Alpine Cliff and Cave Rescue Corps (CNSAS) said on Saturday that the search for Mr Ziriat resumed at first light.
Image: Alpine rescue teams continuing their search. Pic: Soccorso Alpino/AP
Around 40 rescuers had been airlifted to high altitudes to dig into the snow to search for Mr Ziriat in the area where Mr Harris’s body was found.
On Wednesday, teams tracking a “phone of one of the two mountaineers” found a body in the area of Passo di Conca “sadly deceased, buried under the snow”.
Mr Ziriat’s family praised the work of search teams, adding that “their commitment to finding Aziz has been outstanding”.
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Palace For Life, the charity run by Crystal Palace which Mr Ziriat works for, posted on X: “We are aware of reports that the body of Sam Harris has been recovered.
“We are devastated to receive this news and our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his loved ones. No further information is currently available regarding the whereabouts of Aziz.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said on Friday: “We are supporting the family of a British man who has died in northern Italy and are in contact with the local authorities.”
